Daniel Darris-O’Connor may have just graduated high school last year, but the 19-year-old says he’s ready to get to work on Beacon Hill.
Darris-O’Connor, a Democrat, unseated 16-year Republican incumbent Marc Lombardo to become the new Representative for the 22nd Middlesex District, defeating him by less than 500 votes.
The 2025 Billerica High School graduate is currently a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and says he’s ready to make meaningful changes in the town he grew up in.
“I really wasn’t running as the ‘young candidate’, I wasn’t running as a 19-year old, I was running as the candidate running on the issues that matter most, and finally delivering Billerica the results we deserve,” he said. “Because we’ve long lacked a representative who’s showed up to represent us, and come this January, we’re going to change that.”
He said he first became interested in politics when he was in middle school, and said seeing the response to the coronavirus pandemic taught him the importance of leadership.
“I’m a Billerica resident, I’ve lived here my whole life, I went to our schools – you know? I love this town, and I want what’s best for it,” Darris-O’Connor said.
Darris-O’Connor said he is ready to get to work for his constituents, and he wants to work hard for the community that sent him to the State House.
“I am very grateful that the voters of Billerica had faith in me, in electing me their next state representative,” he said. “I look forward to working with my legislative colleagues and finally delivering Billerica the representation we deserve.”
Darris-O’Connor says he intends to serve the people of his district full time while he finishes earning his degree in international relations.
